KATNISS vs. TRIS: You Must Decide!

It’s that time again! Allergies? Summer planning? Graduation? No, silly, it’s time to once again decide who our favorite female character is: Tris or Katniss? In the grand tradition that our parents faced, and their parents before him, we are couting down the days to MTV’s Movie Awards. You must vote! Vote for your hearts! Vote for your souls! Vote via hashtags.

It’s not all Katniss and Tris—Veronica Mars, Khan, and Loki are in the running as well—but our two badass-yet-reluctant female heroes are leading the votes by hundreds of thousands. So let’s zoom in on this neck-and-neck race and review the facts before we decide who the most popular girl in school is (aka our fave dystopian rebel). WARNING: There are, of course, spoilers here.

KATNISS EVERDEEN

Cool catchphrase: "Girl on Fire"
Loves: Hunting, her family, being in the woods and conecting to nature, hugging trees (JK on the last one, but how cute would that be? Go hug a tree Katniss, we know you want to).Enemies: The Capitol, President Snow, fussy hairstyles/clothing, an ugly old cat.Siblings: PrimParental legacy: Father killed in mining accident; mother useless in her grief. Katniss forced to pick up the slack, no time for PTSD.Body/Representation of beauty ideals: Undernourished but strong. Questionable presence of normal-sized thighs. Face plain enough that everyone is supposed to be able to identify with her. Chill hair.Skills: Highly skilled archer, hunter, trapper, super tree climber, knowledgable about plant life, has a singing voice so beautiful birds stop chirping in order to listen. The last one seems a little much, but is true nonetheless.Defining personality trait: Boys love her, tyrants hate her, people pin their hopes and dreams to her... charisma? Is that what charisma is?Crushability: High. Two male suitors, Peeta and Gale, along with sizable public following among Districts 3, 11 and the Capitol. Older-sister type crushes evident in Prim and Rue, and maybe the old lady at the hob. Probably also platonically crushed upon by Cinna, Haymitch, and Plutarch/Seneca. Crushable enough that President Snow doesn't snuff her out at the beginning.Sense of humor: No. Zero. Has never made a joke in her life.Moments of honor: So many! Two big stand-outs: her friendship with Rue and her successful assassination of Coin.Moments of weakness: Also so many! Anytime Katniss lets her emotions get in the way of her usually very logical brain.Eyes: Piercing; able to see through forcefields; connect with viewers.Fashion: Appalachian chic—natural fibers, pyrotechnics on occasion. Good on red carpet and in the bush.Overall importance: She’s the Mockingjay. She’s literally the symbol for the revolution and forever changes its shape through her actions and hair braids.

TRIS PRIOR

Cool catchphrase: "I'm Divergent"? n/a
Loves: Adrenaline. Amusement parks. Chocolate cake. A guy named Four.Hates: Peter? Powerlessness? Secrets. Crows.Siblings: CalebParental legacy: Parents who died to save her; heavy swath of dead-parent guilt and strong need to honor their memory.Body/Representation of beauty ideals: "Birdlike," presumably this is to situate her for zipline situations, or to emphasize her outsized mental strength through juxtaposition and aide Hollywood casting. Absence of thighs likely. Chill hair.Skills: Realization that simulations are only in the mind and that she can control them.Defining personality trait: Curiosity, selflessness, above-average intelligence, looks good in eyeliner.Crushability: Medium-high.Once-in-a-lifetime crushing from Four, platonic friendship strong among second-strings like Uriah. Sense of humor: Ummm… she made a joke once, right? Or laughed maybe at some point? Seriously, why are both these characters so humorless? It seems like a post-apocalyptic world would be ripe for some funnies. Just saying.Moments of honor: Comforting Edward when he is waiting for the doctor. When she challenges Eric in Al’s defense and ultimately has to be the one to stand in front of the target as Four throws knives at her head. When she sacrifices herself to Erudite to save Four. The end.Moments of weakness: Being a human ragdoll when she is almost thrown into the canyon. Lying (for the greater cause) to Four.Eyes: Watery but assertive.Fashion: Hot Topic only even tougher. Leather, black colors, layering. Very Seattle-grunge.Overall importance: Small victories like when she and Tobias shut down the Erudite simulation and free the remaining Dauntless from their mind control. She is important because she is more genetically ideal/more divergent, but she also argues against eugenics. We're actually not sure how to place her in the greater scheme of things. Born for glory, but also designed to work against a system that prioritizes genetics? This is murky.

There you have it! A basic breakdown of each character.

We're going to run a private poll of our OWN, but don't forget to vote for reals on MTV here.

Poll Question

WHICH WILL IT BE: KATNISS OR TRIS? YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE!

Katniss: Girl is still on fire after two Hunger Games!

Tris: She may be small and birdlike, but she knows how to use her elbows, and she made up her mind quickly about which guy was the hunkiest.

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About the Author

Ashley Brooke Roberts is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor living in Brooklyn. She's a performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and can usually be found smiling at random dogs on the street. Follow her on twitter at @AshleyBRoberts.